How To...

Colombia or Cambodia? How to decide on your next trip…

VAWN HIMMELSBACH, Chic Savvy Travels

Maybe you’ve got some vacation time to kill, or maybe the Canadian winter is making you mental and if you don’t see the sun again soon you’re going to snap. You want to go somewhere — the challenge is figuring out where.

Sometimes I find the best approach is figuring out where not to go.

First consider how much time you have. If you’ve only got a couple of weeks, you might want to consider somewhere in the same general time zone, so you can avoid jet lag (that’s not as limiting as it may sound — Toronto to Buenos Aires falls into that category). If you’re flying across the planet to a completely different time zone, however, two weeks really isn’t enough time (but if your heart is set on it, then go for it).

Photo Credit: iStock

Then consider the weather. It may be winter in Canada, but heading south doesn’t automatically mean it’s going to be hot and sunny.

If you want to go to Latin America in March, for example, Bolivia may not be your best option — it’s the rainy season, many mountain roads are impassable and the mosquitos can eat you alive. But if it’s sun and white-sand beaches you seek, it’s a good time to visit Colombia and Panama.

Brazil has great beaches too, but Carnival starts in March this year, so that could affect your plans. Make sure to check into local festivities — that’s when you’ll be competing with locals and other travelers for accommodations, and you can expect higher-than-usual prices.

And it could cause logistical headaches. In China, for example, Chinese New Year is considered the largest annual human migration on the planet — needless to say, as a foreigner, it’s a nightmare to travel anywhere in China during this time.

However, you may want to time your visit with a certain festival, since it’s an amazing way to experience a country. A few years ago I was lucky enough to find myself in Antigua, Guatemala, during Semana Santa (otherwise known as Holy Week, which takes place the week before Easter). I got lucky — I managed to find what was quite possibly the last hotel room in town — but it’s advisable to book accommodations in advance so you don’t end up sleeping on the floor of a hotel lobby all night. (Been there, done that — not fun.)

And don’t forget to check out the visa situation. If you’re going on a last-minute trip and the visa process is complicated, you might want to consider another destination. And if your passport is about to expire, better get a new one — many countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months before they’ll let you through customs.

Date Added: February 18, 2011 | Comments (0)